Vehicle double pivot door hinge arrangement

Abstract

A double pivot hinge assembly for attaching a door to a vehicle body door frame for swinging the door between closed, intermediate open, and full open positions in a self-latching and unlatching uninterrupted manner. The hinge assembly includes a U-shaped link having a bight portion and first and second legs extending therefrom wherein a first pin pivotally connects a body hinge to a free end of the first leg and a second pin pivotally connects a door hinge to a free end of the second leg. The door and body hinges are each formed with a sector plate providing a horizontal raceway such that the body and door hinges are interchangeable except for the location of the detent pocket. Each link leg has a resilient detent member juxtaposed its associated raceway adapted for biased travel on a predetermined raceway arcuate path for releasable self-latching engagement at a predetermined position of the door with an associated detent pocket. Each leg distal end has an ear intermeshed with upper and lower ears on its associated hinge leaf edge. The leaf ears define blocking surfaces adapted for contact with associated link stop faces providing predetermined door travel.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A double pivot hinge assembly for attaching a door to a vehicle body door frame for swinging movement between closed, intermediate open, and full open positions, said hinge assembly comprising: a U-shaped hinge link having a bight portion and first and second legs extending therefrom, said first leg having an end, said second leg having an end, a first pin pivotally connecting a body hinge to said end of said first leg and a second pin pivotally connecting a door hinge to said end of said second leg;   said body hinge having a horizontally disposed raceway further comprising a detent pocket;   said door hinge having a horizontally disposed raceway further comprising a detent pocket;   said first leg further comprising a resilient detent member juxtaposed against said body hinge raceway and adapted for biased travel along a predetermined arc;   said second leg further comprising a resilient detent member juxtaposed against said door hinge raceway and adapted for biased travel along a predetermined arc;   said first leg detent member adapted to cooperate with said body hinge detent pocket in either a self-latching or self-unlatching manner upon predetermined door rotation;   said second leg detent member adapted to cooperate with said door hinge detent pocket in either a self-latching or self-unlatching manner upon predetermined door rotation;   said first leg end having a stop face;   said second leg end having a stop face;   said body hinge having a blocking surface;   said door hinge having a blocking surface;   said first leg end stop face adapted for contact with said body hinge blocking surface upon predetermined door rotation;   said second leg end stop face adapted for contact with said door hinge blocking surface upon predetermined door rotation;   whereby upon the door being rotated from a closed position to an intermediate open position, said body hinge detent pocket is adapted to cooperate with said first leg resilient detent member in a self-latching manner, said door hinge detent pocket is adapted to cooperate with said second leg resilient detent member in a self-unlatching manner, and wherein said body hinge blocking surface moves into contact with said first leg end stop face.   
     
     
       2. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1 whereby upon the door being rotated from its intermediate open position to its full open position, said door hinge detent pocket is moved from its latched mode with said second leg detent member to an un-latched mode, and wherein said door hinge blocking surface comes into contact with said second leg end stop face. 
     
     
       3. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein upon the door being rotated from its full open position to its intermediate open position said door hinge detent pocket is moved from its un-latched mode to its latched mode with said second leg end detent member, and wherein said door hinge blocking surface is rotated out of contact with said second leg stop face, and, wherein, upon the door being moved from its intermediate open position to its closed position, said body hinge detent pocket is moved from its latched mode to its un-latched mode, and wherein said body hinge blocking surface is rotated out of contact with said first leg end stop face. 
     
     
       4. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said body hinge raceway is defined by one horizontal surface of a segment plate secured to a lower portion of said body hinge, said segment plate having one radial side edge disposed normal to said first leg and one side edge disposed parallel to said first leg defining a substantially 90 degree angle therebetween, said segment plate formed with an arcuate edge having its center of curvature located on said body hinge pin axis. 
     
     
       5. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said body hinge detent pocket is located adjacent a juncture of said segment plate parallel side edge and said arcuate edge with said body hinge in its door closed position. 
     
     
       6. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said door hinge raceway is defined by one horizontal surface of a segment plate secured to an upper portion of said door hinge, said segment plate having one radial side edge disposed normal to said second leg and one side edge disposed parallel to said second leg, defining a substantially 90 degree angle therebetween, said door segment plate formed with an arcuate edge having its center of curvature located on said body hinge pin axis. 
     
     
       7. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said door hinge segment plate horizontal surface is formed with said detent pocket located in overlying relation to said second leg with said door hinge in its door closed position. 
     
     
       8. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein with the door in its closed position said body hinge has a body hinge leaf defining an exterior surface fixed to the body and an interior surface adapted for contact with an exterior surface of said link first leg and said door hinge has a door hinge leaf defining an exterior surface fixed to the door and an interior surface adapted for contact with an exterior surface of said second leg; said first link leg end having an ear intermeshed with upper and lower ears on one end of said body hinge leaf.   
     
     
       9. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said body hinge leaf has upper and lower ears, said first link leg has an intermediate ear intermeshed between said body hinge leaf upper and lower ears, said door hinge leaf has upper and lower ears, and said second link leg has an intermediate ear intermeshed between said door hinge leaf upper and lower ears. 
     
     
       10. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the door is a right hand door of a pair of side-by-side rear doors of a vehicle, said hinge link having a first outboard leg and a second inboard leg, wherein said first outboard leg is adjacent an aft right-hand rounded body corner of the vehicle, and said outboard leg is a predetermined dimension shorter than said inboard leg allowing said hinge assembly to be in recessed flush relative to an exterior adjacent surface of the vehicle. 
     
     
       11. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first leg detent member is in the form of a vertically disposed bore with a bore open end in a horizontal edge of said first leg juxtaposed against said body hinge raceway, a spring-loaded latch ball in said bore adapted for biased travel along a predetermined arcuate path on said body hinge raceway, said latch ball being axially extendable to permit releasable engagement with said body hinge detent pocket upon predetermined relative rotation between each said link and said body hinge, and wherein said second leg detent member is in the form of a vertically disposed bore with a bore open end in a horizontal edge of said second leg juxtaposed against said door hinge raceway, a spring-loaded latch ball in said bore adapted for biased travel along a predetermined arcuate path on said door hinge raceway, said latch ball being axially extendable to permit releasable engagement with said door hinge detent pocket upon predetermined relative rotation between each said link and said door hinge. 
     
     
       12. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each said detent pocket is in the form of a semi-circular pocket. 
     
     
       13. A double pivot hinge assembly for attaching a door to a vehicle body door frame for swinging movement between closed, 90 degree hold open, and 180 degree open positions, said hinge assembly comprising: a U-shaped hinge link having a bight portion and first and second parallel legs extending therefrom, a first hinge pin pivotally connecting a body hinge to a distal end of said link first leg and a second hinge pin pivotally connecting a door hinge to a distal end of said link second leg;   said body hinge having a leaf adapted for contact with said link first leg and said door hinge having a leaf adapted for contact with said second leg, whereby with the door in a closed position said body hinge leaf contacting said link first leg and said door hinge leaf contacting said link second leg;   said body hinge having a horizontally disposed raceway formed with a detent pocket, said door hinge having a horizontally disposed raceway formed with a detent pocket, said first link leg having a vertically disposed bore enclosing a spring-loaded ball therein, said second leg having a vertically disposed bore enclosing a spring-loaded ball therein, said first leg ball biased into contact with said body hinge raceway and adapted for arcuate biased travel thereon about the pin axis of said body hinge for predetermined self-latching with said body hinge detent pocket during rotation of the door in one direction and predetermined self-unlatching with said body hinge detent pocket upon rotation of the door in the opposite direction; said second leg ball biased into contact with said door hinge raceway and adapted for arcuate biased travel thereon about the pin axis of said door hinge for predetermined self-latching with said door hinge detent pocket during rotation of the door in one direction and predetermined self-unlatching with said door hinge detent pocket upon rotation of the door in the opposite direction;   said body hinge formed with a blocking surface adapted for contact with a stop face on said first link leg distal end upon relative rotation about said body hinge pin from a door closed position to a door 90 degree open position or from a door 90 degree open position to a door 180 degree open position; and   said door hinge formed with a blocking surface adapted for contact with a stop face on said second link leg distal end upon relative rotation about said door hinge pin from a door closed position to a door 90 degree open position or from a door 90 degree open position to a door 180 degree open position.   
     
     
       14. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein upon the door, in the form of a rear access door, being swung from its closed position to its 90 degree open position, said U-shaped link is rotated 90 degrees about said body hinge pin, wherein said link first leg spring-loaded ball travels substantially 90 degrees on said body hinge raceway such that said ball engages said body hinge detent pocket thereby releasably latching the door in a 90 degree hold-open position. 
     
     
       15. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein upon the door, in the form of a side access door, being swung from its closed position to its 90 degree open position, said side door hinge rotates substantially 90 degrees about said door hinge pin, wherein said link second leg spring-loaded ball travels substantially 90 degrees on said door hinge raceway such that said ball adapted for self-latching with said door hinge detent pocket thereby releasably retaining the side door in a 90 degree hold-open position. 
     
     
       16. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein the rear access door being swung from its 90 degree open position to its 180 degree open position whereby said link second leg spring-loaded ball is adapted for self-unlatching from said door hinge detent pocket and rotating substantially 90 degrees on said door hinge raceway wherein one or more blocking surfaces on said door hinge engage one or more stop faces on said link second leg obviating the rear door contacting adjacent portions of the vehicle body. 
     
     
       17. The double pivot hinge assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein upon the side access door being rotated in one direction from its 90 degree open position to its 180 degree open position, said link first leg spring-loaded ball self-unlatches said body hinge detent pocket and rotates substantially 90 degrees on said body hinge raceway wherein blocking surfaces on said body hinge engaging stop faces on said link first leg whereby the door is positively limited from further rotation in said one direction and is adapted to be rotated only in an opposite door closing direction.